Who is ready for part 4? Love it, feel free to share the link on my facebook page with others, spread the Xmas love, part 5...coming soon....

​Eric drove Amy to his place of work; she had no idea what to expect. She had no idea what Tom did to provide for his families. Knowing what she knew now, she should have asked. He was very secretive, and the more she thought about it the more she wondered, did he love her at all. Was he with her because of the girls, had Glenda been right?

Before she could think about her life with Tom, the front gates opened, and Eric drove to the main parking area, where a space had his name on it and beside it, Tom’s name.

“I should have that changed, but I didn’t think, after all, he…”

“No, it should stay.”

“Okay, are you ready?”

Amy nodded, climbed out of the car and followed him towards the building. In large letters the words of the company were there in plain view. She had no idea that Philips toys was the family company. She had driven past many times, but not once had she thought her husband, no she reminded herself, he was not her husband, had owned the company. Why had he never told her?

“Toys, you own a toy company?”

He chuckled. “Yes. Not what you were expecting?”

“No, I….no.”

“I have another idea that your girls might like.”

“You do?”

“Yes,” he said as he led her towards the building. “We often have children in to test toys.”

“You do?”

“We do.”

“I think they would love that.” She paused. “Why did Tom never…”

“I don’t know why, but…”

“I have a question I need to ask.”

“Okay, ask away,” he said, holding the door open.

“You seemed so relaxed doing my girls hair. Tom never even once brushed their hair. I wondered how you were able to put their hair up so easily.”

“We invented a product that was for girls, a hairdressing set and when we had a test day, I as I often do, spend time with the children.” He paused and stopped walking and turned to face her. “The parents are with them too. I ended up being shown how to do ponytails, plaits and pigtails. And now I am an expert.” He chuckled as they reached the reception area and he was greeted by three men and a woman.

“Morning sir,” they all said in unison. “Welcome back.”

He thanked them and led her to the elevator.

“This way,” he said, leading her down a corridor. They passed a room that had people sat at desks. “These rooms are where the toys that we have in development are created.”

“You design them too here?”

He nodded.

“Yes, design, make, test, and ship them out, this way,” he said, opening a double set of doors.

Amy followed behind him, her mouth open.

“Two coffees, and a plate of biscuits,” he said to the woman at the desk as they entered his office. Amy looked at the young lady at the desk, eyeing her with suspicion; she was clearly not old enough to be retiring. He closed the door behind them. She shook her head as he turned to face her.

“You don’t need a secretary do you?”

“No, you caught me, but I think you can help me out here, and don’t look at me like that.”

“Eric, don’t just make a job for me, because you feel sorry for me.”

“I’m not, it’s the truth.” He paused. “I used to have someone who I shared ideas with and I need someone like that. You could be that person.”

“I don’t know how I can be that person, I have no idea what toys children like. I know what the girls like, I…”

“Exactly, that’s a start. We will have that drink and then I will give you the tour.”

An hour later, Amy followed Eric into one of the factories where the toys were made; it felt like she was in Santa’s workshop. There were toys on conveyer belts and people collecting them at the end and boxing them up. She had already seen them being made, by the many workers in the first area they had entered. Now he was showing her the packaging area, and next he wanted to show her the fun area, the part he said he loved nearly as much as the design rooms, the testing area.

The noise that hit her as she entered the testing area, was louder than she imagined, even with having two girls, Amy was used to loud children. This was more than two children, there had to be at least thirty, ages ranging from toddlers to teenagers. Her eyes darted around the room, the toys were strewn across the floor, testing was simply playing with them, and men and woman with notepads writing down what they said, or thought.

“Wow, this is crazy.”

“This is the best part, look at this,” he said, walking over the small wooden kitchen set.

“It’s a kitchen; like the girls had one last year.”

“I know, it is the one Tom created it, he had them in mind, but this is the upgraded version. He had the idea before…”he paused. “Anyway its the upgraded version.”

“Upgraded?”

“Yes, the taps work, the cooker, cooks, heats up, not as hot as a real oven of course, but enough to warm bread for example.”

“I don’t know if I like that idea, I mean…”

“That is what I said,” a lady with red hair said, her eyes sparkled as she stood beside Eric and placed her hand seductively on his arm.

“You did?”

“Yes, my daughter, she has been playing with it all morning, loves it, but I worry about how hot the oven can really get?”

“It is a concern I agree,” Eric said. “However, we have it made to a safe temperature, but this is why we have the toys tested by real consumers.”

“Can I ask,” Amy said, reading the ladies name badge. “Penny, would you prefer the oven to just be a bog standard light. No heat, the water I must admit like, but wonder how it is hooked up?”

“The water is from a dispenser, would be up to the parents if they wish to add it or not.”

“I like that, a parent’s choice, but I have to agree I don’t like the oven heating up. It could be a disaster if a child was burnt or scolded, what is not hot to us, could be for a child whose skin is more delicate.”

“My point exactly,” Penny said.

Eric removed her from his arm. “Okay, so we will do that then, see Amy, we need you here, I was right.”

“I don’t know, but what I do know is you are right, the girls will love this,” Amy said.

“This weekend, how about after breakfast we let the girls come in and test a few out.”

“I think it’s a great idea, it might help them, and finding out this is where there Dad worked.”

“Their Dad,” Penny interrupted.

“Thank you Penny, for your input, please make sure that Hannah writes it all down so we can fix what needs changing.”

Eric led Amy away, passing more children testing out other toys. They stopped to chat to the children and the parents.

They spent an hour in the testing area, Eric joined the children on the floor, he knew the children and the parents by name. Amy could tell why many of the mothers were here, they were dressed up, faces plastered with make-up all in the hope of him appearing in the testing area. She noticed many had wedding rings on, but that did not stop them flirting with him. Penny was only the beginning, the touching the accidental skin on skin contact.​It was painful to watch, but Eric either did not notice, or took it in his stride. For a moment, she wondered if they flirted with Tom, he was not unattractive; the brothers were alike in many ways. She had not looked at him in that way, not until he had appeared in his kitchen in a pair of shorts. She had not meant to look, but she was a woman, and human. She had only briefly looked. When he had held her in his arms, she had felt better, needed that closeness.

Help her, he had done just that, all their belongings were all stored in a large shed he had brought and had erected that day. The spare room which he had given to the girls now had items from their old rooms, to make them feel like they were at home. He wanted them to feel happy here, while they were staying with him.​Eric never thought for a moment that he would have to do what his brother asked of him. Having them stay with love with, had not been what his brother meant. He had asked him to be there for her, if she needed help. Then again, he had not mentioned to any of them that he was still married to Glenda, a woman he did not like one bit.

He recalled their wedding; she wore a short low cut white dress.

Glenda was not traditionally pretty, but she had looked attractive to him, she was all boobs and legs, he had spent many hours fantasising about her. He was after all only twelve when he watched her walk down the aisle to marry his brother. It was not his fault, the dress left nothing to the imagination. He shuddered at the thought.

For the first year of their marriage, Eric spent as much time as he could at their house. Inviting himself for tea, all so he could watch her in her skimpy outfits. Eric grew out of it by the time he was thirteen, when he met Harriet. She joined the school the following month, and by then his hormones were taken down a different path. Sharing his first kiss with her six weeks later, but once the kiss was over, she moved onto the next boy who caught her attention. The he being Eric’s best friend, and then another boy after that. He had worried for months that he was a bad kisser, but it seemed she just liked male attention. No one was surprised when she announced she was pregnant at fifteen.

By then, Eric had met Tiffany, they dated her for a year, she was his first, and although their relationship did not last, he did not regret it.

He pushed the thoughts of the past behind him, sat in his bedroom, knowing that Amy slept in the office on his small sofa. It did not sit well with him. He was not sure how long they would be staying with him, but he could not allow her to sleep on it for many more nights. She was right of course, he was far too tall to sleep on it himself, and sharing his bed, was out of the question. It was practical but he knew that he it was not right, even if he had thought about it, he would never suggest it.

Eric opened his laptop and scoured the pages; he had a plan to replace the sofa with a sofa bed. It would be practical and perfect. He selected one he liked, and clicked on it, but before he knew it, he was opening a second browser, looking at bigger properties, a room each for the girls. He snapped the lid shut, what was he doing? This was tempory, this was not his family. He tried to reason with his thoughts about why he was thinking about a bigger home? Was his mind on helping take care of them? Finding them a new home, for just them? That had to be it, he told himself as he laid back on his bed and placed his arms behind his head and closed his eyes.

The next day, Amy was in the kitchen, the girls bickered as they sat at the table as Eric walked in and found her looking tired, she placed a pancake on a plate and put it before her daughter.

“No, Mum it’s not right, Daddy always…”

“Jane, it’s a pancake, just eat it, and Daddy never cooked them for you, I did, now stop it, or you won’t get any at all.”

“I…”

“Jane,” Amy snapped.

Jane folded her arms across her chest and sulked.

“Go without then,” Amy said as she removed the plate and slammed it down on the side. It broke; she kept her back to her daughter, as the tears fell down her cheek.

“Jane, why don’t you take your sister and finish getting ready for school.”

“But I…”

“Jane, please. Do as I ask, and if you do I will drive you two to school, and if you hurry we can get something to eat on the way.”

“On the way, really?”

Eric nodded and ushered the two girls from the room, closing the door behind them. He walked across the room to where Amy stood; he could tell she was sobbing from the way she stood. He turned her to face him and pulled her into his arms and held her, allowing her to cry. She tried to apologise, but he shushed her.

“Don’t you dare. Why don’t you take a long hot soak in the tub while I run the girls to school, and on my way back I will pick us up some breakfast.”

“I’m sorry, it’s just so hard. They don’t understand why we are here, or why he died, hell I don’t get it, I don’t. It’s all just a mess.”

“I know they don’t, I don’t understand it either, if I am honest.” He let her go and wiped the tears from her cheeks. “We will talk about what you should do next when I get back, okay?.”

“Next, I need to get to work, if I don’t, I won’t have a job to go to. I mean I can’t just expect you to take care of us. There is so much to sort out; we need a home, a home of our own.”

“Yes, I guess you do, but as I said this is your home for as long as you want it to be.”

“Thank you, but it’s not our home, it’s yours. I need to find a place that will be our home, one that I know will feel like home. I just don’t know if I will find the one that has that feeling, because I have to come to terms with the fact that Glenda will never give me back our family home, and if I am honest now she is living in it, I don’t want it.”

“Okay, you are right. Will you be here when I get back?”

“No, I should arrive on time, or early if I can.”

“Do you even like the job?”

“No, not really. Tom thought it was good for me to work for a few hours to get out of the house, pocket money he called it.”

“Pocket money, will that be enough to pay bills and a mortgage or rent?”

“No, of course not. I will have to go to the council, as I am after all homeless.”

“You are not homeless, not technically.”

“No, but in the sense that woman has my house. Anyway whatever happens I will need more income, so I will have to ask for more hours, or find a job that will pay me more.”

“Amy.”

“I have to, I have no choice.”

He opened his mouth to speak, as the girls appeared ready for school, Jane tugged on Eric’s trouser leg, and insisted they go now. He looked down at her.

“What about your hair, should we not brush it, at least?”

She nodded and ran off, returning with a brush. He brushed both girls hair, before leaving.

They left five minutes later.

Amy cleared the kitchen, dressed for work, and then climbed into her car; she placed the key in the ignition and turned the key, nothing, she tried again and again. Slamming her hands against the car steering wheel she screamed at the top of her lungs. Of all days for her car to fail her, it had to be today. If she rang them to say she would be late, would they believe her? She pulled out her phone, dialled the number, as she climbed out of the car and kicked the door shut. Her boss answered after two rings.

She explained about her car and that she would get the bus, but before she could say another word, her boss told her over the phone, she was fired.

“You can’t fire me, you…” he cut her off, and told her, he could, the paperwork was done. He was laying her off. Her job was no longer available; she would receive a small payment as a redundancy package. She leant against the car door and slid down it. Her world was crumbling around her, she felt defeated.

She heard his car arrive, but she did not move. He walked to the house; she watched the door open and close and heard him call her name. She stood, wiped her face and walked to the house as the door opened and stood in the door way.

“Amy, what happened?”

“The car wouldn’t start.”

“Again.”

“I don’t understand, it always started first time.”

“I will have it looked at, if not I’ll buy you a new one,” he said.

“No, you won’t, I can’t pay you back, I’ve just lost my job.”

“Because you were going to be late?”

“No, I think they had already decided. I have a feeling that they realised my role was not needed anymore since I had not been there. Why pay me when they don’t need me.”

“That is awful, I am sorry,” he said. “I have an idea that may help you out for now.”

“You do?”

“I do, you could work for me.”

“Work for you?”

“Sure, it’s a win win situation. I planned to advertise for a new secretary, my old one is retiring after Christmas. So if you fancy it, you would be doing me a favour.”

“Are you sure, because I don’t even know what you do?”

“You don’t?”

“No, I know Tom ran the family business, but was not sure if you were part of it too.”

“I am, when he died, he left me his half of the company. Anyway, why don’t you come in with me today. I have taken time off myself. I need to get back to work too, it won’t run itself.”

“I guess not. I never knew you worked with him. There is so much of his life I had no idea about.”

“He liked to keep it separate, I don’t know why, but he did.” Eric handed her a mug of coffee. “I can take you there today, show you around, and don’t worry, Glenda has no hand in the company, I have made sure of that. First I will get your car picked up, and then we can go.”

He ordered her to go fix her make-up, which she did. As Amy looked in the mirror, she realised how much of a mess she looked; she cleaned her face, and re-applied her make-up. It was not the loss of the job, but how she would manage. She could only imagine herself affording a tiny flat, but if they had a roof over their head, it would do. She had no choice, after all would the council even re-home them; she knew it was a long shot.

She stared at her reflection. She knew nothing of the man she married, the man who had given her two beautiful girls. Even if right now they were not their usual selves, she understood why the girls misbehaved.

Stood in his kitchen, Amy fixed two bowls of cereal, she was on autopilot, placing the bowls on the table. She ordered the girls to be quiet, to just sit and eat. Both looked at their mother,

They soon discovered that the account was safe, the money was safe. Eric spoke softly to her, suggesting she opened a brand new account and closed the joint one, one in her maiden name, after all, it was true, she was not Mrs.Philips.

An hour later, they sat in a café, a mug of tea and a buttered tea cake before them.

“I can’t believe this, my life, our life, was all a lie, how could your brother do this to us?”

“I don’t know. I am sorry; we, I believed they had gotten a divorce. I am angry with him; he should never have done that, if he was alive…I…”

“If he was, I might never have known. I would still be in the dark, not knowing that he was never my husband.”

“In my eyes, and my parents, you were, are his wife. They love you and will be devastated to find this out.”

“Don’t tell them, not yet. Please?” Amy pleaded.

“They will know soon enough.”​“I know.”

“We will sort things out, I promise you that. I promised my brother years ago, when you two got married, that if anything happened to him, I would take care of you.”

Enjoy the first part of a Xmas story i thought I would share with you all, enjoy.

With the key in her hand, Amy slid it into the lock, all she wanted to do was get in, remove her shoes and unwind. The kids had been bickering all day, the whole way around the supermarket and she was exhausted. They were now asleep in the car, and waking them would cause another round of arguments, she knew of course that they were hurting, she was hurting. They had to get on with it, life, she had no time to grieve, she had loved him, with all her heart, and the age difference meant nothing to her, it was not a huge gap, just fifteen years. Amy had met Tom when she was nineteen years old, they married six months later.

Three years later, they conceived their first child, their first daughter, Jane, now aged six. Two years later, a little sister for Jane was born, Olivia who had turned four the week before her father died.

Had she wanted another child, a son, maybe, but she loved her two children and they were handful enough. At least they were now. Sighing she attempted to turn the key, but it would not turn. Frustrated she tried again; she removed the key, and looked at it. It was the right key, the key fob red, the same as the front door.

She tried again, she was tired, she was not sleeping very much and as she slid it in again, she attempted to twist the key again, but nothing.

“What the…” she muttered to herself.

She walked to the garage and put the key in and it opened, she pulled it open, with thoughts of getting into the house that way, but as the door opened, she found it full, full of her stuff. She frowned, and looked at it, what was happening, who was in her home? Had his brother locked her out, he had threatened it, he had always hated her, she never liked Tony, he had once made a pass at her, before the wedding, and she had declined, she had not fancied him, but he had made it known that he had liked her, and when she married Tom, he did not like it.

The day he died, he vowed he would get his revenge, and maybe this was it.

She walked back to the door and hammered on it, she waited, assuming Tony would come to the door to gloat that he had done what he promised, maybe tell her, that the only way she could get the house back, was with him as her partner. She would not ever allow that to happen. It made her skin crawl.

“Tony, come on, this is not funny.”

The door opened, a woman with dark hair, flecks of grey and dark brown eyes opened the door. She looked down at Amy and smirked.

“Yes.”

“Who the hell are you? And what are you doing in my house?”

“Your house, I don’t think so, not anymore.”

“Where is Tony?”

“Not here.”

“Why are you in my house?”

“As I said, this is not your house, when my husband died, the house automatically went to me. His wife.”

“Wife, is this meant to be funny, because I can tell you now, its not.”

“It isn’t meant to be funny, but I can tell you now, Miss…that Tom was my husband.”

“No, he was my husband.”

“Funny that, because he is still my husband, as we never got a divorce. So technically, you two were never married.”

“You what!”

“You heard, and now you know, this is my house, so you will find that all your stuff, is in the garage, I will finish removing all your crap and I want it gone from there by the end of the week.”

“You have to be kidding me, this is my house, I paid for half of it.”

“Of course you did, doesn’t matter, his will states his wife gets the house, so that means me, not you.”

Amy looked at the woman in her house, and then to the car where her children were sleeping.

“You are kicking me out of my own home, with two small children.”

“Yes, now I told ya, get what you need from the garage and get the rest by the end of the week, or you will find it dumped out on the road for the bin men.”

“You wouldn’t.”

“Try me.”

Amy shook her head; the woman was done talking, and closed the door. She removed her phone from her pocket and dialled the one brother she could count on, he had been good to her, and had said if she needed anything to call him. He answered after three rings. She had not meant to break down, but as soon as she started to tell him what happened, she was sobbing, and was not even sure he could make out what she had said.

Whatever he heard, he told her, to get the things she needed, and to come over, they were welcome to stay at his house, for the night.

Removing the clothes and overnights bits she could locate in the garage, Amy got back in the car and drove the twenty-five minutes to his house. The girls woke, asking questions, where they were going, what time it was, and then the whining, they were hungry, thirsty and Olivia wiggled in her seat, she needed the bathroom.

“I need a wee real bad, mummy.”

“You can have one at uncle Eric’s.”

“Why are we going there?” Jane asked.

“We had a leak at the house, and we are staying at his house for one night.” It was a lie, she had no idea what to tell him. Instead she plastered a smile on her face, her eyes were red, and puffy, but neither child mentioned it.

Eric was at the door the moment they parked in the driveway.

“I…”

“Can we talk about this once the kids are settled; Olivia needs to the loo, and….”

“Of course, you know where it is, I have set up the spare room for you girls, I thought you might be hungry so ordered in some take out, I hope that was okay.”

“It is, thank you, I have a car full of shopping, I don’t know what to do with it, some of its food, I just don’t know what to do,” she began, the tears threatening to fall again. Eric ushered her in the house and settled her in a chair.

“It’s going to be okay,” he said, handing her a tissue.

“How?”

“That woman, his first wife…”

“You knew about her?”

“Yes, of course, but I thought they were divorced, he said they had, were.”

“How is this happening?”

“I don’t know, my brother loved you, and in my eyes you are his wife, but we need to find out the truth, if she is still his wife, and…”

“…I am not.”

“Yes, sadly that is what we need to find out.”

“Will Sue mind me staying; I don’t want to inconvenience you two.”

“Well Sue won’t care, since we broke up a few months ago.”

“Oh, I…”

“It’s fine, besides she was right, we were not getting on, and we wanted different things..”

“Like?”

“I wanted a family, she didn’t.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yes, it was better to find out now, rather than later.”

“Yes, I guess so, I am so sorry, I wish I had known.”

“You had lost your husband, my brother, how did a split compare to a partner dying.”

“I guess, I….I am sorry, and we won’t be here long, just the night.”

“No, you stay here as long as it takes to sort this out; my home is your home.”

“You won’t be saying that in a day or two, the girls are demanding.”

“I mean it, once we sort this out, and have your home back; you can leave, but for now you are staying.”

“If you are sure, and if it gets too much…”

“Don’t worry, honestly…”

The doorbell rang.

“Food’s here,” he said, leaving the room to answer it, he returned moments later, with scent of burger and chips filled the room. Her stomach rumbled as the food was placed on the table. And the girls dug in as Eric placed a portion of chips and a small burger before them.

“Thank you, uncle Eric.”

“You’re welcome girls.”

The spare room was big enough for the girls, and his office had a small sofa, which he insisted he slept on while she took his bed, but Amy would not have any of it. He was tall, and his feet hung over the end. He was much like Tom in many ways, they all were. He was always nice to her, the sisters never liked her much either, thought she was just some tart who was after his money. He had money, but that was not what attracted her to him. He was kind, and they had so much in common, they liked a lot of the same things. To her, he was the love of her life, and now she had lost him, the aneurism unbeknown to them, took him from her. It was sudden, and with no warning.​The next morning, after a restless sleep, Amy could hear her daughters, they were already bickering. She rolled her eyes and sighed, she loved them, but this was getting more and more tiring, all she could do to not snap at them, was count to ten, and then deal with them. They were hurting as much as she was. They did not understand what was going on now, and she did not plan to tell them, after all, this would soon be over.

Sorry in the very long detail, but the very final part of Bad Choices, hope you enjoy.

​Her parents were seated in their living room. A pot of tea sat in the centre of the table. Her mother poured, she had already spied the ring, Jessica knew she had, the look on her face, told her that.

“Mum, Dad, Curtis and I, were getting married.”

“About time, goodness knows we have been waiting for you tell us this since the day you two met.”

“You did?”

“Yes, but first I want to know what happened to your arm.”

“It was an accident mum, don’t worry I am fine, I could not be happier.”

“Does this mean you no longer need the flat, I can rent it out?”

“Mum!”

“I’m kidding, we could not be happier.”

Her parents were happy, his mother was happy too, and all they wanted to do was start planning things. First a date, the dress, the cake, everything, Jessica was not against it, but once the mothers met the only thing she had a choice of was the dress, she did not mind, she wanted everyone to be happy.

Her brothers were not shocked either. They had both hugged her and told her they were happy for them.

The invitations were sent out. The church booked, flowers ordered and cake tasting was done. They choose a three tier cake, each tier a different flavour, one was her favourite, chocolate, Curtis chose Vitoria sponge. Lastly the last tier their mother’s favourite, a fruit cake. Rich in flavour, and covered in marzipan and white icing, each tier covered in white rich icing.Neither of them wanted the standard bride and groom on the top of the cake, instead the opted for two horse shoes.

The wedding was less than a month, and last thing to be organised was the stag and hen party.

It was decided that she would move in with him after the wedding, even though they had already spent a night together, for their parents, they waited.

“So, have the guys organised a fun night for you?”

“A night out at the casino, so they tell me.”

“Wow, is that your kind of thing?”

“I dabbled in my younger years, so one night of betting, could be fun.”

“Here I was expecting, a club with strippers, that is exactly what my friends have organised,” she said, looking at his face. “Not that I suggested it, besides the only man I want is you, but I can look.”

“Look, as long as that is all you do.”

“Don’t you trust me?”

“Of course I do, I was not sure how you would take strippers, I think there may be a few there, I just don’t know.”

Jessica stood on the pathway, with Amy, who had organised the whole night.

“Are you ready for this?” she asked.

“I am.”

Once inside the car, Amy had handed her a head band with the words ‘bride to be’ on, she wore a pair with ‘hen party’. When they arrived at the club, she handed a set to all her friends, both her mum and his mum were there too, and had a set on too, mother of the bride and mother of the groom.

The music was loud, the seats filled and the stage set. Jessica was nervous; she had no idea what they had in store for her. Other than strippers, she had never in her life been to a show, or even thought about it.

An hour into the show, Jessica had a few drinks, and was beckoned on stage; this was about her and the man dancing before her. Her nerves grew as he shook his body and bits at her. She had no idea where to look; he then placed a blind fold around her eyes.

She swallowed, with all her friends and the mothers watching, she had no idea what was about to happen. All except the cheers and whoops that filled the room, what was happening? She had no idea, but she could feel him close to her, with a smile on her face, this was more from the nerves she felt, and the goose pimples that went up and down her arms.

The blindfold was removed and she was centre to all the men as they continued their routine.

Before they knew it, the night was over, the show was done, the party was over. Jessica was not ready to stop, nor was some of the other girls and decided to take it to a club to dance until the early hours. Something she had not done in a while, and she loved to dance, now she was on the dance floor, moving to the beat, and there on the dance floor was the man she was about to marry. He was at her side, pulling her into his arms.

“Fancy meeting you here. Did you have a good night?”

“Yes, you?”

“Yes, but I am so glad you are here.”

“You are.”

“Yes,” he said and kissed her.

“Hey you two, come on, you know it’s not right to see the bride before the wedding,” Amy joked.

They danced until the early hours, parting with a mind blowing kiss. Her thoughts turned to getting ready for the wedding, and walking down the aisle and becoming Mrs.Lucas.

The dress hung on the back of the door, she sat on her bed, staring at it, and she was wearing a dressing gown. The two mothers were there, sat at the table, drinking tea, and talking about the day, it seemed so surreal to Jessica that this was happening, that both their mums were here watching her get ready. Her make-up and a nails were done.

“Shall we get this dress on, come on, we have a wedding to get you to.”

“You don’t think I am going to change my mind do you?”

“No, I don’t, but I don’t want you to be late,” his mother said.

“Isn’t the bride meant to be late,” her mother said.

“True, but I wanted to see you in it, before I go to my sons.”

“Okay, I can do that.”

She took a deep breath and with her mother’s help, she stepped into the white laced dress, it hung perfectly on her. The bodice laced up, her shoes on she stood before the mothers, who both had tears in her eyes.

“Stop it, or you will make me start and I will have to re-do my make-up.”

“Sorry,” they both said, together.

His mother left half an hour later, and then she was alone with her own mother and Amy, ready to leave and be driven to the church.

And then she was in the car, she saw nothing on the drive there, and before she knew it she was outside the church stood on the pavement. She wondered if had turned up, of course he had, she was worrying for nothing.

The music played inside, her father was stood beside her ready to walk her down the aisle. She did not look at the perfectly picked flowers that were decorating each pew, or the flowers that stood at each end. Her eyes were on him and Curtis only, he was looking down at her, his smile wide, hers matched.

Her father led her down until she was by his side, each step taking her closer to becoming Mrs.Lucas. Her eyes were wide, her heart beating faster, her mouth was dry, the vows she had written, she suddenly forgotten. Not a word came to her mind, but she did not care, when he took her hand and the ceremony began. She only had eyes for the man before her, and that was all she cared about as they were announced husband and wife.​“Mrs.Lucas,” Curtis said, before he kissed her the church erupted into cheers.